The Solid and the Hollow - Album Review by Power Popaholic..

"There are lots of great moments within the songs that evoke a mood akin to a bright summer day"

Robyn Gibson (lead guitar, vocals) says it best, “… it became a kind of nostalgia trip,” and the band’s fifth album keeps those stylistic touches that recall The Beatles, The Association, and The Free Design. “Oneless” is a subtle opener, with Gibson’s gentle vocal leading the way. It’s the template for most of the songs to follow, with the exceptions being the driving bass line lead on the psyche-pop of “When She Turns” and spacey synths on “Fishes.”

There are lots of great moments within the songs that evoke a mood akin to a bright summer day. “She Makes The Sun Shine” is especially buoyant with a rhythm line akin to The Beatles’ “Rain.” “Meadow Song” has a wonderful mix of keys, guitars, and layered sounds, and slowly builds into something great. “Swan” is another breezy melody that wallows in the dreamlike atmosphere, with subtleties in the harmonies that audiophiles will appreciate. If you fell in love with this band from their super catchy ‘Euphonious Trolley’ EP, this album is its spiritual cousin. Highly Recommended.

PAINT THE GROUND ALBUM REVIEW in SHINDIG MAGAZINE...

 

Where folk and country rock collide with pops soft mesh and shades of the psychedelic, this is where you'll find Paint the Grounds main aspects. Originally a 2012 download affair, this album is a thing of beauty with natural echoes of the modern pastoral in abundance; of meadows soaking up summer rays, of footfalls traipsing through the changing seasons, of shadows lengthening outside tabernacle homes.

Shimmering six and 12-strings and dreaming harmonies are joined occasionally by softly buzzing jaws harp, mellotron and zither, creating a panoply of bliss filled vistas that evoke such disparate, wide eyed spirits as 'Diamond Dew' era Gorky's, Peruvian McCartney worshipers We All Together and, somewhat quizzically, the languid haze of early Ride.

'Willow and the Water Mill', the panoramic glide of 'Antler Season' and joyously sparkling opener 'Look Into My River' are but a few of the goose bump-causing highlights on offer.

ALBUM REVIEW OF "CUT YOUR KEY" in ROCK N REEL MAGAZINE...

 

In a parallel universe The Junipers were born on the West Coast of America in the late 1960s and not in present day Leicester. The outfit, which is essentially songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Joe Wiltshire and vocalist Marc Johnston, nonetheless do a convincing job of re-creating the era with loving attention.

Debut album Cut Your Key is full of twelve string guitars, a random collection of antique instruments and plangent melodies.

The release's fifteen tracks are a lightly psychedelic cocktail of The Beatles 'Dear Prudence' by way of Big Star's 'Thirteen'.

The lovelorn vocals on 'Out My Pocket' and the blissed out pop of 'Sunnydown Ave' perfectly soundtrack a long Summer holiday filled with unrequited lust and lemonade floaters, while the title track 'Sheena' encapsulate a beach party hosted by Simon and Garfunkel and Brian Wilson.

In common with The Ruby Suns, this authentic sound is undercut by moments of humorous whimsy, such as ramshackle instrumental 'Little May Rose' and the self explanatory 'Wobbly Interlude'. It's such intervals that ensure Cut Your Key is peppered with quiet charm, despite it's unashamed nostalgia.

NEW JUNIPERS Single “MY IMAGINARY FRIEND” Out Now

Our latest single from our upcoming album "Imaginary Friends" is the title track of sorts "My Imaginary Friend". Its available to buy on our Bandcamp page (all proceeds help towards the vinyl pressing). OUR BANDCAMP PAGE!

The single is also available on Spotify, Apple Music etc. We also have a little lyric video on our Youtube Channel

Not really a single release. More of a last little promo teaser before the album comes out next month. Another song we've had for a while in demo form. We started recording it properly it as a band in 2017 but never finished it or released it, apart from a brief appearance in 2023 as a bonus track on our 3rd album "Red Bouquet Fair". It's now finished and will be included on our new album "Imaginary Friends". It was the first song we had for the album and inspired the idea for the albums theme and title. We liked the idea of someone who really wants a dog but can't have one because the rest of the family don't want one, so they have an imaginary dog instead that they take out for walks and roll around in fields with, pick up its imaginary shit etc.

Pre order the album "Imaginary Friends" HERE!

NEW ALBUM "IMAGINARY FRIENDS" PRE ORDER NOW...

 

Our new album is available for Pre order NOW! Pre orders will help us pay for the pressing of the vinyl and get it out sooner. Email us to pre-order at thejunipersband@gmail.com or from The Junipers Bandcamp page: PRE ORDER HERE!

Imaginary Friends is our fourth album. Currently only available as digital and physical CD. Vinyl coming very soon, October/November so please do pre-order. Still waiting on pressing. Sorry!

The Junipers are back with their new album "Imaginary Friends".
In 2022 a couple of Junipers recorded with Manchester based outfit Portable Radio on their album "Counting To Three", providing the rhythm section
recording at the Junipers studio in Leicester.
With that project finished in 2023, they found the lure of their instruments and recording gear, still set up too tempting to not record some more.

They decided to have a go at re-recording their first album "Cut Your Key" from scratch. This was due to the record label owning those recordings and The Junipers not being able to release the original version on vinyl or sell it themselves. A new re-recorded version would mean a long awaited vinyl release of that album.
That idea and those sessions petered out when a deal was struck with the record label, so decided to play around with some new songs instead.

With no initial intention of recording a new album, by early 2024 some accidental momentum was building and the idea to make an album gathered speed.
A lot of care and love went into the recordings and "Imaginary Friends", the fourth Junipers album was born.
The first single released from the album "Annie Almond" was given "track of the week" on BBC Radio, they followed that up with a second single "She Looked Up At the Stars".
The album is due for digital and CD release on 5th Sept 2024. A vinyl release is due in October/November. 

Track Listing:

• 1The Swarthy Smith
• 2You're My Sugar and Spice
• 3She Looked Up at the Stars
• 4Annie Almond
• 5While You Preside
• 6Mary in the Rain
• 7Monkey on My Back
• 8I've Been in Your Shoes
• 9My Imaginary Friend
• 10Red Song
• 11Hollow Sky